Admirals Game Results

Mike McKenna allowed 2 goals on 36 shots for the OT loss. Probably wishes they saved him a couple of goals from the previous two 6 goal outbursts.

First Period
1:26 SYR Thomas (2), (Brodeur, McGinn)

Second Period
16:47 PRO Szwarz (4), (Heinen, Cross)(PP)

Third Period
NO SCORING

Overtime
8:28 PRO Szwarz (5), (Simpson, Heinen)

Ben Thomas was the game's third star.

Mixed emotions from this opening two game set in Providence. The Crunch accomplished what they needed to by wrestling home ice away from the Bruins and they came within an eyelash of grabbing the series by the throat tonight in an airtight Game Two. Rationally, they're in great shape, but momentum may be sitting on Providence's bench heading into an absolutely critical Game Three after an emotional OT victory. Luckily, with such a veteran laden team, I expect Syracuse to have a strong response in Game Three. They need it. That's not a must-win contest, but it's one you desperately want to have.

Crunchning Death Star continues to maraud its way through Calder Cup playoff run.

SYR-6
PRO-3

Syracuse Leads the Series 1-0

Mike McKenna allowed 3 goals on 36 shots for the victory. He might want one of the goals back that he allowed to make the game close for a moment in the Third Period, but life remains good when you bathe in sweet, sweet goal support.

After failing to take a road win in their entire 7 game series against the Marlies, the Crunch got one right off the jump tonight thanks in large part to the play of their veterans. The P-Bruins should be sweating that outcome because the Crunch have to feel very loose right now knowing they've been very good holding serve at home and they've already taken away home ice advantage for the series. Heading into Game Two, the pressure is squarely on Providence's shoulders and the Crunch are playing with a tall stack of the house's chips.

The Crunch evened the score before the second intermission, went ahead eight seconds into the final frame and finished with five unanswered goals to top the Toronto Marlies, 6-3, in Game 7 of the North Division Finals at the Onondaga County War Memorial Wednesday.

Syracuse advances to play Providence, who also won a Game 7 Wednesday, in the Eastern Conference Finals starting Friday in Providence.

“I like the composure we had on our bench tonight,” Groulx said. “The guys always believed. I’m very happy for them. They did a great job. Credit to our guys.”

Matthew Peca, Gabriel Dumont, and Jake Dotchin were the game's three stars.

Syracuse's playoff life was in doubt for about a three and a half minute span of the Second Period tonight. Down 3-1, the team looked to be in potentially dire straits. Then the comeback started, and five goals later the Crunch had made their statement. This team may just win it all. How'd they do it? After leaning heavily on their veterans for most of this run, the Crunch youth have started to chip in on the scoresheet, making an unbelievable deep team even more lethal.

Matthew Peca is starting to build a legacy in these playoffs as a big goal, big game player. If you're wondering how we celebrated his game winning goal, assisted by fellow Bolt Prospects Jake Dotchin and Slater Koekkoek: Chad had to go take a cold shower, I smoked a cigarette, and Tim demanded the misses, "Now go fix me a sammich!" We were happy/excited.

Syracuse will play the Providence Bruins for the AHL Eastern Conference crown. Providence was actually the fourth seed in a very deep and very talented Atlantic Division. It'll be a very tough series for the chance to advance to the organization's third Calder Cup Final of the Yzerman/BriseBois regime.

The Syracuse Crunch held serve on home ice and pushed the Toronto Marlies to the brink of elimination.

The Crunch quickly answered after the Marlies opened the scoring in the first period and rattled off five unanswered goals, as Syracuse beat Toronto, 5-1, in Game 5 of the North Division Finals at the Onondaga County War Memorial Saturday.

Syracuse leads the series 3-2, as the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 6 Monday.

“I don’t think we have any changes to make,” Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx said heading into Monday. “We played our game, and our challenge is to play our game Monday in Toronto.”

McKenna, Slater Koekkoek, and Gabriel Dumont were the game's three stars.

With the chips down the Syracuse Crunch brought their best effort to the rink tonight in an absolutely critical Game Five tilt in a tied up series. Mind you, this series should be over right now were it not for the Crunch's late game collapse in Game Three, but that contest is water under the bridge at this point. Now Syracuse gets Jake Dotchin back from suspension heading into a potential closeout game. It's never easy to finish off a good opponent on the road at playoff time, but champions typically find a way.

The Crunchning Death Star ran into their first serious technical problem before Game Three learning of a 3 game suspension to Jake Dotchin for a late hit thrown in Game Two. Dotchin ended Tampa Bay's regular season playing like a NHL top-four defenseman, and losing Dotchin for the lineup for a key stretch of this series is a troubling problem for the Crunch defensive corps. They really need to get one of these games in Toronto and tonight they came within two minutes of pulling off the task before the bottom fell out. Now Toronto has momentum and an opportunity to knot the series up, putting some serious pressure back on Syracuse's shoulders while they're still without Dotchin's services for two more games. Game Four looms large.

The Crunch scored three times before the Marlies got a shot on goal and limited the Marlies to two shots in the first 20 minutes. Toronto was able to capitalize on three power plays to cut its deficit to two, but Syracuse held on for an 8-5 win in Game 2 of the North Division Finals at the Onondaga County War Memorial Saturday.

Syracuse leads the series 2-0 as the series continues in Toronto Tuesday.

“I think tonight showed some of our best hockey and then later in the game maybe not some of our best,” Crunch forward Matthew Peca said. “Limiting a team to two shots is pretty good. It’s all a part of how well we started. We were hitting. We were shooting. We were keeping the puck in their zone. We just have to play in their end and we’ll be fine.”